Sunday 30 December 2018

Fifty Years of Fear

Ross Greenwood is a fairly new author to me but I do like his style and his thoughtful take on things.




Book description

Could you forgive murder? What if it was something worse?

A childhood accident robs Vincent of his memories, causing him to become sensitive and anxious around others. His differences attract bullies, and he comes to rely heavily on the support of his family.

After the devastating loss of his parents, a remarkable woman teaches him to embrace life and, little by little, he realises the world is far more forgiving than he imagined. When fragments of his memory return, he begins to unravel his past.

Who was his mother? What kind of a man is his brother, Frank? And why does death surround them?

Fate is cruel. History is dark. Things are not as they seem.

Perhaps he should have stayed at home.



My review -

Although this book is about the life of a fairly ordinary man I found it completely engrossing. Vincent retells fifty years of a life lived as a fearful loner. His few relationships are less than satisfactory and his brother disappears from his life for years at a time. Vincent’s great sin seems to be a naiveté but it causes him a huge problem. By the end, although he is a character shunned by many, it’s hard not to sympathise with him. The author has a way of putting you into a character’s mind so you can see the world from his point of view. There’s a question of whether evil traits are heritable or not and the whole story really stretches your mind. Highly recommended.

Author info

I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King's School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I'm still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, i randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

I've now written five further books. My second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by a publisher, and Lazy Blood is also out. All my books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour. Reading the reviews has been great.

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Just a thought - “but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” 
― Jane Austen

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